327 Manobo Children gained legal identity

“One of the rights of a child is to get registered upon birth” according to Article 7 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child .This lead Pasali to take initiative in facilitating birth registration to 350 Manobo children in Sitio Biao, Barangay Napnapon, Palimbang together with the Local Civil Registrar of Palimbang, last September 13-14, 2013.

The foregoing sentiments of Manobo and the difficulty among the older Manobo children from proceeding to higher educational ladder due to absence of legal documents such as birth certificates motivated PASALI to intensify its effort in taking the lead of organizing and strengthening the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) to its target villages in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat. 
Through the conditionalities set by the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, a two-day birth registration took place at the heart of the 17 kilometer-hilly mountains of Sitio Biao. This humble effort became possible through the persistent appeal of the children’s staff and the leadership of its Barangay Captain. They finally received the approval of the LGU Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat to send 12 of its personnels from theLocal Civil Registrar (LCR) office with the support of two (2) DSWD-paid Municipal Links. The two-day birth registrations have catered 350 Manobos with 327 children and 23 adults who were issued with an absolutely sealed LIVE BIRTH CERTICATES. 

Below were the quick steps undertaken by the registrants in securing their Birth Certificates:

Step 1: Filling in of Information Sheets
Step 2:  Having the filled in Information Sheets reviewed by the LCR Head
Step 3: Typing (encoding) of data in the Information Sheets
Step 4: Issuance/awarding of the LIVE BIRTH CERTIFICATES

Having gained such document, the Manobo children can now easily access government’s basic social services especially on education and health. It is anticipated therefore that more children will be facilitated for enrolment next year especially that the new additional classrooms are already constructed therein. 

Apparently, having seen and felt the result of this rewarding endeavour, BCPC members expressed their desire to bring this endeavour to the neighbouring indigenous communities in the barangay in the coming days.

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